Describes Minnesota's monitoring and assessment strategy, assessment tools, and the redesigned assessment process. This guidance defines the required data and information and lays out the criteria by which waterbodies are assessed to determine if beneficial uses are supported. (Last updated 12/27/2016)

MPCA has not finalized methods for identifying waters used for production of wild rice or for assessing impairment of waters based on a wild rice-related standard. Consequently, the draft 2016 303(d) Impaired Waters List does not include any waters assessed as impaired for the sulfate wild rice standard. The MPCA is in the midst of an effort to refine the existing sulfate standard to protect wild rice that will lead to needed methods for identification and assessment.